Tony Blackmore

Tony was born in Devon, UK (1971), graduating with a first-class BA (Hons) in Fine Art Sculpture from Kingston University in 1993. In 2005, he attained a Postgraduate Diploma from the Cyprus College of Art, and in 2013, he was awarded an MA in Fine Art from Wimbledon College of Art, part of the University of the Arts London (UAL).

During his MA, Tony was one of six artists from across the UAL MA programmes awarded a residency at Tokyo Space, Tokyo. His time in Japan, studying the lighting and materials of its traditional architecture, continues to influence the art he creates today.

Currently living and working in London, Tony’s recent body of work focuses on his wall-based reliefs created with a single sheet of drafting film; a film traditionally used for architectural drawings. With regimented precision, lines are scored on both sides of the film before the surface is hand-folded and nurtured into a relief form.

Influenced by his tenure at the Institution of Civil Engineers from 2005 until 2018, Tony applies the rationale of geometry and structure to his personal expression. Creating constructive interference patterns or grid-based compositions derived from rudimentary number sequences, their undulating folded surfaces create illusions of squares and triangles that shift in depth and tone. Describing the artistic process, he says:

“I enjoy the discipline that’s required in the making of each folded surface. I find the creative process akin to a form of meditation and can be totally absorbed for hours at a time. There is always an element of surprise that I find hugely rewarding when a final form emerges.“

Tony has participated in the Royal Academy Summer Exhibition, exhibited nationally and overseas, and with Cube, has been shown at Art Karlsruhe in Germany, CONTEXT Miami, and SOFA Chicago. Often working to commission, he has completed work for the five-star St. Ermins Hotel in central Venice. 

As a testament to his artwork, Tony is a member of the Royal Society of Sculptors.

Click here to read ‘An Interview with Tony Blackmore’